In the process of digital electrostatographic printing, an electrostatic charge pattern or latent image corresponding to an original or electronic document may be produced by a raster output scanner on an insulating medium. A viewable record is then produced by developing the latent image with particles of granulated material to form a powder image thereof. Thereafter, the visible powder image is fused to the insulating medium, or transferred to a suitable support material and fused thereto. Development of the latent image is achieved by bringing a developer mix into contact therewith. Typical developer mixes generally comprise dyed or colored thermoplastic particles of granulated material known in the art as toner particles, which are mixed with carrier granules, such as ferromagnetic granules. When appropriate, toner particles are mixed with carrier granules and the toner particles are charged triboelectrically to the correct polarity. As the developer mix is brought into contact with the electrostatic latent image, the toner particles adhere thereto. However, as toner particles are depleted from the developer mix, additional toner particles must be supplied.
In the operation of an electrophotographic copier or printer, particularly color machines, it is highly desirable to optimize printer memory utilization, by allocating the memory capability of the printer according to historical network user information. Such a system would allocate available memory to avoid the increased expense and hardware requirement of adding memory required to meet user needs, in those situations in which adequate memory is present, yet is less that optimally distributed. At the same time, realizing that even vast memory resources may at times prove insufficient, such as during peak network user activity and/or during particularly large or complex print jobs, the finite printer/network memory resource that is available can be distributed so as to result in the fewest possible unsuccessful or excessively delayed print operations.
Various systems and corrective actions have been taken to prevent the occurrence of these and other undesirable image attributes, to include the following disclosures may be relevant to various aspects of the printer or network memory utilization evaluation/reallocation system of the present invention: